Respiratory protection devices (also referred to as respirators) for providing a breathable air supply to a wearer are used in a variety of different applications. The respirators can be used during fires, military operations and hazardous industrial applications where the air supply may be contaminated. In addition to providing a clean air source to the nose and mouth for breathing, full-face respirators also protect the eyes and face from harmful or irritating gases and other substances. The devices can further include mounts for accepting detachable and replaceable filter elements or connectors to air supplies.
There are a number of specific types of respirators in common use. These respirators include a lens, a face seal for mounting the lens about the face of a wearer, and one or more ports for providing an air supply to the wearer's face. Ports are provided in the face seal attached to the lens or in the lens material itself. These ports add complexity and cost to processes for making the face seal and/or lens. Additionally, respirators can be configured for different modes depending on particular situations for use. However, configuring respirators for multiple situations can lead to design tradeoffs that make the respirators less than optimal.